IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship Honors Teen Innovators
About 16 percent of the global population—more than 1 billion people—live with some form of disability, according to the World Health Organization . Many of the disabilities affect independence and mobility. Three high school students working on inventions to help people with disabilities restore movement, translate thoughts, and navigate rough terrain had their work showcased at Regeneron’s…
Seventeen percent of the world's population—over a billion individuals—suffer from some form of disability, according to the World Health Organization. Many of these challenges hinder independence and mobility. Three high school students showcased their innovative solutions to assist people with disabilities at Regeneron's International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix in May.
Their projects secured them this year's IEEE Presidents’ Scholarship awards. IEEE President Mary Ellen Randall presented the honors during a ceremony held at the fair. Students also received an IEEE President’s coin, which the winners found to be the highlight of their experience.
Hollie Tang, 17, won the top prize of $10,000 for her wheelchair navigation system, Tonguage. The noninvasive, computer-vision-based interface translates tongue and eye movements into commands to control computers, wheelchairs, and other assistive technologies. The tongue pad acts as a directional cursor, while eye blinks function as mouse clicks.
The system includes face-tracking to prevent unintended commands and ensure the user is the only one interacting with the technology. Tang's project emphasizes affordability, using standard laptop cameras instead of costly specialized hardware. She built Tonguage to empower individuals with mobility challenges, regardless of their background or income level.
Partap Sidhum, 16, took second place with a $600 scholarship for his mind-controlled lower-limb exoskeleton, NeuroGait. Inspired by his volunteer work at a community center without elevators, Sidhum aimed to help individuals with mobility issues navigate stairs. NeuroGait uses an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset to detect the Bereitschaftspotential (BP), a faint electrical pattern preceding conscious movement.
A convolutional neural network classifies these signals and sends commands to a 3D-printed exoskeleton equipped with pneumatic artificial muscles that mimic human movement. Sidhum's system achieved a 99.9 percent accuracy in detecting intended movements and operated at 95.2 percent accuracy overall, costing less than $300 to build. He hopes to bring NeuroGait to his former community center.
Calvin Shang Hung, 16, received a $400 scholarship for his spider-inspired robot, Math Into Motion: Robotic Hexapod for Hazardous Environments. The six-legged robot is designed to traverse unstable terrain, such as rocky or uneven surfaces, where humans or conventional robots struggle. The hexapod, inspired by spider anatomy, can navigate rough terrain while avoiding obstacles.
Hung's robot achieved a high level of precision in its movements and could potentially be used in search and rescue operations or other hazardous environments.
Written by urgent.news from IEEE Spectrum's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
